Life-boat.



LUKACSIPAGS, OF POUAHONTAS, VIRGINIA.

LIFE-BOAT.

incense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Application filed April 13, 1914. Serial No. 831,493.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, LUKAcs Irnos, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Pocahontas, in the county of Tazewell and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Boats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in life boats.

The primary object of this invention is to provide any form of small craft such as a life boat with an efficient means for minimizing the rocking tendencies of the boat when floating in rough water.

A further object is to provide a boat with an improved form of double keel for preventing side drifting and also with cushioned side board floats for contacting the water surface and assisting in the mainte nance of the equilibrium of the boat.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and'arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views :--Figure 1 is a side elevation of a boat provided with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken upon line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the boat 10 adapted as a life boat and capable of being propelled in any desired manner as by means of oars, sails or motor, none of which are illustrated, is provided with a double keel formed of center boards or plates 11 slightly spaced apart and secured to the bottom of the boat by the flanges 12 upon said plates and being positioned longitudinally of the bottom and upon opposite sides of the longitudinal axis thereof.

A separate side board or float 13 is positioned shiftably upon each side of the boat and is mounted upon a plurality of rods 14 freely extending through suitable perforations in said boards. Each of the rods 14 is boat and substantially parallel to the adjacent wall of the hull by means of the lower brackets 15 secured to the outside of the hull while an upper bracket 16 is provided for each arm in the form of a plate secured on top of the gunwale 17 of the boat.

The boards 13 being adapted for shifting upon the rods 14;, cushioning springs 18 are positioned encircling the said rods and between the boards 13 and the upper bracket 16 while similar but shorter springs 19 encircle the said rods and are positioned between the lower brackets 15 and the said boards.

The cushioning springs 18 and 19 are so arranged as to normally position the side boards 13 at the normal water level line when the boat is empty and it will be apparent that the presence of a cargo within the boat such as freight or passengers will result in compressing the upper springs 18 as the boat settles in the water and thereby providing cushioned outrigger floats adjacent to each of the gunwales. The action of the waves upon the boat will be less damaging by reason of the said outrigger floats at the constantly changing water line and the said floats will assist in preventing the boat from capsizing as well as preventing the waves from splashing over the gunwale into the boat. The double center board or keel by reason of its contact, with the water retards any side tipping of the boat as well as any side drifting thereof at such times as when the boat is being steered under the propulsion of sails.

While the forms of the invention herein shown and described are what are believed to be preferable embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made in the form, proportion and details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as new is 1. A boat comprising center board plates spaced apart and secured longitudinally of the bottom thereof, spaced brackets upon opposite sides of the boat, rods rigidly secured between said brackets and extending substantially parallel to the adjacent sides of the boat, side floats provided with perforations therethrough and slidably mounted upon said rods, cushioning springs encircling said rods and engaging opposite faces of said side float-s between the said brackets.

2. A device of the class described comprising a boat having a hull, outwardly extending spaced brackets secured to the exterior of said hull below the normal water level line, upper brackets positioned in alineinent above the said lower brackets and rigidly secured to the top of the boat gunwale, rods rigidly secured between each pair of said upper and lower brackets and substantially parallel to the adjacent side of the hull, outrigger floats positioned shiftably at opposite sides of the hull and provided with perforations freely mounted upon the said rods, cushioning springs contacting opposite faces of said floats and encircling the said rods and positioned between the upper and lower ones of each pair of brackets, the lower ones of said springs being of less length than the upper springs.

In testimony whereof I aflix niy signature in presence of two witnesses.

LUKAos IPACS. Vitnesses KovAcs PAL, FRANK STEFAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

